Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1887-04-01
BREAD RIOT AT CASTLE GARDEN.
THE ITALIANS FROM THE STEAMER
SCOTIA RAvENOUs FOR FOOD.

NEW YORK, March 27-I'ive
hundred and nineteen Of the ltal
ian passengers of the wrecked
steamer Scotia arrived on the sea
barge Haggerty at Castle Garden
late this afternoon. The scene that
followed beggared description
They rushed into the rOtunda pell-
nell, shrieking aud bowling Tor
food like ravenOus wolves. They
crowded around the lunch tables,
climbing over each other and
trampling on the helpless women
and children. PandemOnium reign
ed supreme for fully an hour. 1t
is customary to register all lmml'
grants before they enter the rotnn-
da, but the red tape was broken on
this occasion by Superindent Jack
son, The force OF the mass OF the
people was so great that the officers
who were stationed to keep order
were swept aside like straws. The
SETTLING mass could not be restrain
ed. Mr.. Jackson gave orders to
give them all the food they needed,
and charge 10 to the commissioners
of emigration. Then the distrlbu-
ton OF food began. II was impossl-
bile to regulate The distribution
The stron0 men crowded 10 the
front, with upliltcd arms and their
eyes starting from their sockets,
crying in Italian "Bread, bread"
The surging mob was utterly un-
comfortable: women and children
were tramplcd on, crowded and
pushed away. The officers of the
garden aided IN the distribution by
throwing the lOayes over the heads
Of the nearest TO the outskirts OF
the crowd. Every time a loaf was
fred into the crowd, twenty or
more scrambled, ana in some cases,
fought to get it. That dry bread
was a luxury, was evident from the
way the starving people gorged
themselves. IN 4 short time all
the food was gone except some bo-
Iona sausage. The women and
children were cared for, and milk
and beer added TO their portion.
Outside the railing were Gl2 pas.
sengcrs from the Etruria, $50 from
the Waesland and coo from the La
Bretagne. Nearly 5000 people
were in the rotunda. The babel of
tongues was frightiul, as the people
were of all uatiOnalIticS. The Off
cials handled them well, keeping
the Italians separate. The gates
outside the garden were besieged
with friends and relatives of the
Scotia's passengers. Some affect
ing scenes were witnessed. Agent
Terkuile and Interpreter Theilly
came up With the passengers on the
barge. The tug Luckenbach
brought up their baggage. Seven
" more OF the Scotia people were
brought to the garden. They came
overland from Patchhogue, where
they had landed.
Among the complaints made by
the passengers Nicholas Secretas
said they had meat only twice,
and after the first week neither
coffee nor tea. He was in bed
when fhe ship struck. lie rushed
on deck. 70 WAS too dark to see
the land. Secretas spoke English.
He had lived here aud had been
70 italy ON y visit. He said the
masts were not cut away. but were
broken oil by the shock. He could
not swear that the captain was
drunk. The majority of those
spoken to said the captain was in
toxicated.
II was said 10y Captain Moore. OF
Castle Garden, that Captain Ruff
felt WAS a member of Brooklyn
temperance society. Interpreter
Thellly, of the Fabre line, thought
the captain was not drunk or he
could not have navigated the YES
sci.
Agent Tcrkuilc, Of the Fabre
line, said hc had been too busy
landing the passengers to lnyestl-
gate the charges. He did not think
that food was lacking, as there was
$50 pounds of macarOni on board
the Scotia. On this no Italian
wonld starve. lie supposed the
captain had pct the passengers on
short ratlons. not knowing how
long the voyage might last Tie
declined to say anything about the
habits of Captain Ruilett. The
seventy passengers who came by
rail from Patchogue arrived about
nine o'clock tonight. They were
transferred from Long Island City
on the steamboat john +. Moore
They were even more ravenous
than the others. They were fed at
the garden. n fresh supply Of pro-
vision having been obtained
Many of the Italians were sick
from eating after their long fast.
Several writhed in agony on the
floor OF the rO.uuda.